Saale Kareda, Mai Simson, Tõnu Kaljuste and Joonas Hellerma at the presentation of the album and sheet music edition on November 11th. Photo: Anneli Ivaste
A double album has been released featuring a landmark work in Estonian music history — Estonia’s first oratorio, Rudolf Tobias’s “Joonas” (Jonah). For the first time, the oratorio has been recorded according to the composer’s original score and with the Estonian text, released by the record label Ondine. In addition, the Estonian Music Information Centre has published four new original editions: full scores and piano reductions in both German and Estonian.
The oratorio is performed by the extended ensembles of the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir and the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Kadri Traksmann (organ); soloists Mirjam Mesak (soprano, Bavarian State Opera), Kai Rüütel-Pajula (mezzo-soprano), Mati Turi (tenor), Taavi Tampuu (Joonas, baritone) and Raiko Raalik (bass, Estonian National Opera); chorus mysticus consisting of Maria Listra (soprano), Kadri Tegelmann (mezzo-soprano), Endrik Üksvärav (tenor) and Tamar Nugis (bass, Estonian National Opera), and singers of the Estonian National Opera Boys' Choir. The conductor is Tõnu Kaljuste.
From Ondine‘s webpage:
This release is the world première recording of Estonia’s first major work in art music in its original score and sung in Estonian. Rudolf Tobias (1873-1918) is widely celebrated in Estonia as the ‘father of Estonian music’ and considered as the first Estonian composer to have obtained a degree in composing after completing his studies at the St Petersburg Conservatoire. In this recording the composer’s magnum opus, Joonas (Jonah Oratorio) is performed by a first-class Estonian line up led by the award-winning ensembles Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, Tallinn Chamber Orchestra and conductor Tõnu Kaljuste.
Tobias began writing his first ideas for the oratorio Jonah between 1904 and 1907. Between 1908 and 1909, during his stays in Paris, Prague, Eichwald and Leipzig, Tobias rewrote, orchestrated and extensively revised the original score. The final score of Jonah was premiered with the composer himself conducting it on November 26, 1909, at St Andrew’s Church in Leipzig. Tobias conducted parts of it in concerts in Germany and Estonia, but it was never performed again in its entirety during the composer’s lifetime. In 1973 the manuscripts of Jonah were examined by the Estonian pianist and musicologist Vardo Rumessen, who wrote that there were notable confusions in Tobias’s manuscripts and thought ‘the technical execution and orchestration of the work was incomplete and sketchy in places’. With the help of the Russian musicologist Yuri Fortunatov, Rumessen decided to reconstruct and re-orchestrate the work by sections and added a new ending. For this new recording conducted by Tõnu Kaljuste, Rudolf Tobias’ original score has been used for the first time revealing the composer’s original voice in this iconic work in Estonian music.